2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z
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Field Studies [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
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Animal Behavior and Zoology
Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying biology ecology field studies philosophy of science zoology Signature Required: Fall |
Program | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | What do animals do, how do they do it, and why? In this year-long investigation of animal behavior, students will answer these questions through extensive use of the scientific literature, in-depth discussions of the evolutionary and ecological theories that are fundamental to the study of behavior, independent research projects, and several weeks in the field, including two weeks in the Pacific Northwest during fall quarter. Animals hibernate, forage, mate, form social groups, compete, communicate, care for their young, and so much more. They do so with the tools of their physiology, anatomy, and, in some cases, culture, for reasons having to do with their particular ecology and evolutionary history. In this program, we will begin with a review of animal diversity, and continue our studies of behavior from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. Students will be expected to engage some of the complex and often contradictory scientific predictions and results that have been generated in this field, through lectures, workshops and take-home exams, as well as to undertake their own, intensive field research. In fall quarter, students will conduct short-term field projects, and become skilled in library research. In winter quarter, we will continue to learn theory and statistics, and will continue field work as well. In spring quarter, having studied the methods, statistics and literature frequently used in behavioral research, students will generate their own hypotheses and go into the field to test them through extensive, independent field research or internships. Field work might be in a variety of locales from the Pacific Northwest to Central America. Any field work outside the United States will be organized as independent learning contracts. Students will return to campus for the last two weeks of spring quarter to complete their data analysis and present their research. Some topics covered in this program will include mating systems, territoriality, female mate choice, competition, communication, parental care, game theory, plant/animal interactions and convergent evolution. Several readings will focus on one group of animals in particular: the primates, including Homo sapiens. | field biology, evolution, ecology and other life sciences. | Bret Weinstein Heather Heying | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Biodiversity Studies in Argentina
Erik Thuesen biology botany ecology field studies language studies marine science natural history study abroad Signature Required: Fall |
Program | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | In the 19th century, well-known European scientists such as Darwin, d'Orbigny and Bonpland traveled in Argentina and brought their knowledge of the flora and fauna back to Europe. The marine, desert and alpine environments of the Southern Cone harbor flora and fauna very different from similar environments in North America. In this two-quarter program, we carry out intensive natural history studies of the unique organisms and ecosystems of Argentina, focusing on those of Patagonia. After an introductory week in Olympia at the start of fall quarter, the study abroad portion of the program will commence with a 4-week intensive study of Spanish language in Buenos Aires to prepare us for our travels and studies in Argentina during fall and winter quarters. We will begin to study the flora and fauna of the Southern Cone through preliminary readings, lectures and class work in Buenos Aires. We will take a short trip to the sub-tropical province of Misiones during October, then move to the coastal and mountain regions of Patagonia in November. We will study the natural history of Patagonia, beginning with field studies on the Atlantic coast and then moving to the Andean Lakes District, taking advantage of the progressively warmer weather of the austral spring. Students will conduct formal field exercises and keep field notebooks detailing their work and observations. We will read primary literature articles related to the biodiversity of Argentina and augment our field studies with seminars. During winter quarter (summer in the southern hemisphere), students will reinforce their language skills with two weeks of intensive Spanish studies in Patagonia, examine montane habitats, then work in small groups on focused projects examining biodiversity topics. It will be possible to conduct more focused studies on specific ecosystems or organisms, including those in more southern parts of Patagonia, at this time of the year. Clear project goals, reading lists, timelines, etc., will be developed during fall quarter in order to insure successful projects in winter quarter. Examples of individual/small group projects include: comparisons of plant/animal biodiversity between coastal, desert and alpine zones; comparative studies on the impacts of ecotourism activities on biodiversity; or examining community composition of intertidal habitats along a gradient from north to south, among others. The total estimated cost for this program (including expenses incurred over Thanksgiving and winter breaks) for food, lodging, transportation, Spanish language instruction and fieldwork activities (whale watching, national park fees, museum fees, etc.) is $7,575. The college’s current total estimated cost for food, lodging, etc. per quarter in Olympia is $4,005. With the low cost of living and traveling in Latin America, participating in this two quarter program will actually be less expensive than living in Olympia. | biodiversity, conservation, field biology, Latin American studies, natural history and Spanish language. | Erik Thuesen | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Botany: Plants and People
Frederica Bowcutt botany field studies natural history writing Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | Our focus in this program will be on developing an understanding of both natural and cultural dimensions of plants. We will work through a botany textbook learning about plant anatomy, morphology, systematics, and ecology. Lectures based on the textbook readings will be supplemented with laboratory work. We will explore how present form and function informs us about the evolution of various groups of plants. Students will get hands-on experience studying plants under microscopes and in the field. Students will also learn basic plant identification of common species. To support their work in the field, students will learn how to maintain a detailed and illustrated field journal. Seminar readings will be on the general theme of plants and people. In fall we will celebrate the 90th anniversary of national suffrage for American women and the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in the state of Washington, by exploring women and their relationships with plants. We will explore the cultural history of American women's use of plants for medicine making, food, and aesthetic purposes. We will examine women's contributions to horticulture, botany, environmental activism, and biodiversity preservation. Students will learn how to identify and grow herbs through service learning in the Medicinal Herb Garden at the Organic Farm. Through a series of workshops, students will learn traditional medicine making practices. A significant amount of time in this program will be dedicated to honing our ability to write an expository paper. In winter students will also learn library research methods, which they will apply to a research project of their choosing related to plants and people. Time will be spent helping students improve their ability to write a research paper that is thesis-driven and supported with evidence from the scientific literature. | conservation; ecological agriculture; ecological restoration; ethnobotany; forestry; herbology; natural resource management; plant biology, ecology and taxonomy; women's studies; and writing. | Frederica Bowcutt | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Decolonization in Communities: Thinking Globally, Reflecting Locally
Jon Davies and Savvina Chowdhury community studies economics education field studies gender and women's studies |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 8, 12, 16 | 08 12 16 | Day | SSpring | This program builds on Imperialism, a full-time fall/winter program that examines the unequal relations of power purveyed through the discourse of neoliberal globalization. Students interested in examining resistance to neocolonialism are invited to explore the prospects for decolonization in the context of the Puget Sound area through this one-quarter full-time program. Working in conjunction with community-based institutions, schools, advocacy groups, veteran's rights groups and other non-profit organizations, Decolonization in Communities will examine resistance strategies such as popular education, immigrant rights advocacy, gay/lesbian/transgender advocacy and community-based economics. What strategies are employed by these institutions to counter the effects of oppression along the lines of gender/race/class/sexual orientation? How have neoliberal policies affected the economy in the Puget Sound area? How has neoliberalism affected public education and what community-based initiatives are contesting the commodification of education? The eight-credit classroom component for this program will focus on decolonization, education, globalization, feminist economics and political economy. For the other eight credits, students will complete a 20-hour-per-week internship related to program themes. This program is open, without faculty signature, to qualified and motivated students who wish to examine these program themes in a local community setting. | community-based social action, economics, education, gender and women's studies, law, politics, non-profit organizations and social services. | Jon Davies Savvina Chowdhury | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Drawing From Place
Lucia Harrison |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Rather than viewing the landscape as an object of conquest or consumption, Drawing from Place explores the role of art and artists in helping people develop a deep personal relationship with a place. This all-level program is designed for beginning artists who would like to learn to draw and to make artworks that are inspired by their connection to a specific landscape. In the first half of the program, as a case study for place-based research and inspiration, students will study the Nisqually River Watershed. Through reading and field study, students will learn the history of the watershed and its communities, study its basic ecology, and learn about current conservation efforts. They will develop beginning drawing skills and practice techniques for keeping an illustrated field journal. Through lectures and readings, students will study artists, including environmental artists, whose work is inspired by their deep connection to place. In the second half of the quarter, students will create a series of drawings inspired by their own relationship with a particular place. | art and environmental education. | Lucia Harrison | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Ecology
Karen Hogan |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 12 | 12 | Evening and Weekend | FFall | Ecology is the study of the processes of interactions among organisms and of organisms with their physical environment. Our study of ecology will be based on an evolutionary perspective. We will study processes ranging from the physiological ecology of organisms, to life history theory, modes of reproduction, ecology of plant and animal communities, biodiversity and conservation, and ecosystem processes. The goal of this program is to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of ecological and evolutionary processes, and to be able to analyse and critically read about issues in basic and applied ecology. | ecology and environment. | Karen Hogan | Mon Wed Sat | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Field Ecology
Dylan Fischer and Alison Styring biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies mathematics natural history sustainability studies zoology Signature Required: Winter Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | This year-long program will focus on intensive group and individual field research on current topics in ecology. Students will be expected to intensively use the primary literature and student-driven field research to address observations about ecological composition, structure and function in natural environments. Students will participate in field trips to sites in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest (U.S.). Students will be expected to develop multiple independent and group research projects in local forests in the south Puget Sound, the Evergreen campus forest reserve, national forests, national parks, state forests and other relevant natural settings. During each quarter, we will work as a community to develop and implement multiple field projects based on: 1) rapid observation and field data collection and analysis workshops; 2) participation in large multi-year studies based in Washington and more distant field sites; and 3) student originated short and long-term studies. In fall quarter, students will focus on field sampling, natural history, library research and scientific writing skills to develop workable field data collection protocols for field trips. In the winter, students will learn to analyze ecological data using a variety of laboratory and statistical analytical approaches, and they will further refine their research and scientific writing skills through the development of research proposals for team-designed field projects that will be implemented during spring quarter. In spring quarter, students will demonstrate their research, natural history and analytical skills via group and individual research projects. Student manuscripts will be "crystallized" through a series of intensive multi-day paper-writing workshops in which group and individual papers will be produced. Research projects will also be formally presented by groups and individuals in the final weeks of the quarter at a public research exposition. Finally, all written research projects will be reviewed by external experts, revised and bound together in a single printed journal-format volume. Specific topics of study will include community and ecosystem ecology, plant physiology, forest structure, ecological restoration, riparian ecology, fire disturbance effects, bird abundance and monitoring, insect-plant interactions, disturbance ecology, and the broad fields of bio-complexity and ecological interactions. We will emphasize identification of original field research problems in diverse habitats, experimentation, data analyses, oral presentation of findings, and writing in journal format. | biology, botany, ecology, environmental studies, field ecology, forest ecology, ornithology, and zoology. | Dylan Fischer Alison Styring | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Field Plant Taxonomy
Frederica Bowcutt botany ecology field studies natural history Signature Required: Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | In this program students will learn how to use Hitchcock and Cronquist's , a technical key for identifying unknown plants. We will spend time in the field and laboratory discussing diagnostic characters of plant families. Seminar readings will be focused on floristics, biogeography and vegetation ecology. Students will learn how to collect and prepare herbarium specimens and apply this knowledge to a collaborative research project. Students will also learn about herbarium curation. Several daylong field trips will give students an opportunity to learn about Pacific Northwest plant communities in the field, including prairies, coniferous forest, wetlands and coastal dunes. Students will be expected to maintain a detailed field journal and will be taught basic botanical illustration skills to support this work. One multiple-day field trip will give students an opportunity to learn about high desert vegetation and paleobotany. Through the field trips, students will learn basic vegetation sampling methods that they will apply to a field project. This project will allow students to develop data analysis and presentation skills in addition to learning about field methods. All field trips are required. | conservation, ecological restoration, floristic research methods, forestry, natural resource management, plant ecology, plant taxonomy, and vegetation ecology. | Frederica Bowcutt | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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In The City
Stephanie Kozick architecture community studies cultural studies field studies |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | - Richard Sennett This is a field-based program designed for students who have completed previous academic work in urban studies or social science, and who are prepared to spend a number of weeks living in one of the world’s cities. Possible urban study topics are numerous and include: transportation, housing, art venues, urban community organizations, environmental concerns, architectural styles, historical studies, city schools, city writing, or music or arts projects. Students design a formal field study plan that details: site, specific urban research topic of their interest, field study questions, research methods and modes of documentation. The first two weeks of the quarter will focus on the preparation of the field study document along with book seminars on (de Botton 2002) and (Rick Steves, 2009). Students are responsible for all travel, accommodation and other expenses associated with their urban field study. Budgets must be calculated according to destination. Students will keep a field journal during the six weeks of field study that documents research activities and responds to their readings. Weekly, program e-mail communiques are required. Students are required to be on campus during week nine to prepare for a formal program presentation of their fieldwork to be presented during week ten. Program Itinerary: First two weeks on campus (March 28-April 7) Six-week field study period (April 7-May 23) Last two weeks on campus (May 23-June 3) Evaluation week is June 6-10. | social studies, urban planning, urban studies and city arts. | Stephanie Kozick | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Individual Study: Environmental Studies, Sustainability and Justice, Geography
Ted Whitesell community studies environmental studies field studies geography sustainability studies Signature Required: Winter Spring |
Contract | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | SSpring | Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn on how to manage a personal project, to focus on unique combination of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research, or internship related to environmental studies, geography, sustainability and justice, community studies, and activism are invited to present a proposal to Ted Whitsell. | environmental studies, sustainability and justice, and geography. | Ted Whitesell | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Individual Study: Environmental Studies, Sustainability and Justice, Geography
Ted Whitesell community studies environmental studies field studies geography sustainability studies Signature Required: Fall |
Contract | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn on how to manage a personal project, to focus on unique combination of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research, or internship related to environmental studies, geography, sustainability and justice, community studies, and activism are invited to present a proposal to Ted Whitsell. | environmental studies, sustainability and justice, and geography. | Ted Whitesell | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities
Ariel Goldberger aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing Signature Required: Winter |
Contract | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, and travel. | humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. | Ariel Goldberger | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
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Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities
Ariel Goldberger aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing Signature Required: Spring |
Contract | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger. Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply. Ariel Goldberger supports interdisciplinary studies and projects in the arts, humanities, consciousness studies, and travel. | humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. | Ariel Goldberger | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Individual Study: Interdisciplinary Projects, Arts, Consciousness Studies and Humanities
Ariel Goldberger aesthetics anthropology architecture art history classics communications community studies consciousness studies cultural studies field studies gender and women's studies geography international studies language studies leadership studies literature music outdoor leadership and education philosophy psychology queer studies religious studies sociology somatic studies theater visual arts writing Signature Required: Fall |
Contract | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Individual study offers students the opportunity to develop self-direction, to learn how to manage a personal project, to focus on unqiue combinations of subjects, and to pursue original interdisciplinary projects without the constraints of an external structure. Students interested in a self-directed project, research or internship in the humanities, or projects that include arts, travel, or interdisciplinary pursuits are invited to present a proposal to Ariel Goldberger.Students with a lively sense of self-direction, discipline, and intellectual curiosity are strongly encouraged to apply.Ariel Goldberger supports projects in the Arts, Humanities, Consciousness Studies, Arts, and interdisciplinary studies. | humanities, arts, social sciences, and consciousness studies. | Ariel Goldberger | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Introduction to Natural History
John Longino and David McAvity biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies mathematics natural history zoology |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | The scientific study of nature is carried out with a combination of descriptive natural history and quantitative analysis. We will develop skills in both areas by exploring the major terrestrial habitats of western Washington and carrying out short field problems that introduce statistical approaches to natural history description. Readings and lectures will cover introductory concepts in biodiversity studies, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Workshops will emphasize the scientific process, statistical methods and probability models as they apply to natural history. We will take one-day field trips to visit shrub steppe, alpine and coastal forest habitats. Evaluation will be based on exams, written assignments and a field journal. | biology, environmental science, mathematics, and natural history. | John Longino David McAvity | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Invasive Species: Plants and Patterns
Lalita Calabria and Peter Impara |
Program | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Invasive species are a critical threat to biodiversity and ecosystems and are one of the greatest challenges in restoration projects. Throughout this one-quarter program, we will explore major ecological concepts within the framework of the threats invasive species pose to restoration and conservation efforts. We will survey some of the leading theories and approaches regarding invasive plants, including their effects on ecosystems, plant community interactions, the ecophysiology of individual species, and how invasive plants become successful invaders at the patch and landscape scale. What are the characteristics of invasives species that allow them to quickly outcompete native plants, alter habitat of native species and often reduce the habitat and food availability for wildlife? At the molecular to organism scale, we will investigate the genetic and biochemical signatures of invasive plants to assist our understanding of their competitive advantages as well as their evolutionary history. At the ecosystem to landscape scales we will study meta-population and island biogeography theories in relation to restoration and conservation efforts and planning, and in the analyses of patterns of invasive plants. Students will learn the taxonomy, ecology and biology of invasive plants through lectures, plant collecting, workshops, labs, fieldwork, seminars, small group projects, becoming proficient in ecological tools such as GIS, field sampling, journaling and herbaria. To deepen their understanding of the impacts of invasive species on native plant communities of these ecosystems, students will conduct restoration ecology research focusing mainly on the Puget Lowland prairies. Lab activities will involve identifying collected plant specimens, preparing herbarium specimens and phytochemical analysis. We will take a 5-day field trip to Dry Falls to learn about sagebrush steppe habitat restoration. Seminar will focus on the current scientific literature regarding the restoration ecology, conservation and invasive plants. Upper division science credits will be awarded for upper division work. | ecology, botany, geography, restoration, and conservation. | Lalita Calabria Peter Impara | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Management
Peter Impara ecology environmental studies field studies geography law and public policy |
Program | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | At what scale should we manage or study an ecosystem or landscape? What is a natural landscape, and how do (or can) we manage for it? Geographers and ecologists have pondered the question of scale in ecosystems, and how to apply scale issues to conservation and research. Many ecosystem and related studies have been conducted at fine spatial scales, yet many of the problems and issues of resource management and conservation are best approached at broader, landscape-level spatial scales. This program will investigate broader scale approaches to on-going conservation and management activities in important ecosystems and how scientists address the issues of scale and the ecological patterns and processes used to define "natural systems." Scale, landscape analysis and pattern-process interactions will be addressed using computer labs in GIS and spatial analysis. Students will learn about landscape ecology concepts through lectures, field trips to nearby natural areas to observe pattern-process interactions, and through the design and implementation of a landscape ecology research project. Through class and field work students will learn about important ecological principles such as disturbance regimes, biotic diversity and species flow, nutrient and energy flows, and landscape change over time. Seminar readings will tie landscape ecology principles to on-going ecosystem management activities. Students will develop skills in ecological pattern and spatial analysis, natural history and field interpretation, and in the generation of multiple research hypotheses and methods to address those hypotheses. | resource management and conservation; environmental and ecological research; and landscape ecology and analysis. | Peter Impara | Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Self and Culture: Studies in Japanese and American Literature and Cinema
Harumi Moruzzi |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | Modernity in the west established the concept of a human being as a thinking subject whose existence alone cannot be questioned through Descartes' seminal discourse . Though occasionally under attack, the concept of autonomous thinking and perceiving the subject as the center of reality—as the source of truth—has been the dominant ideology in the west since the eighteenth century, particularly in the United States. These days, due to our globalized communication and cultural exchanges, we have begun to question many ideas that have been taken for granted. The concept of self is no exception. It is often said that American and Japanese cultures represent mirror images of human values. For instance, while American culture emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and self-autonomy, Japanese culture dictates group cohesion and harmony. Certainly, the reality is not as simple as these stereotypes indicate; nevertheless, this dichotomized comparative cultural frame presents an interesting context in which we can explore the concept of self. We will explore the concept of self through the critical examination of American and Japanese literature, cinema and popular media. At the beginning of the quarter, students will be introduced to the rudiments of film analysis in order to develop a more critical attitude toward the film-viewing experience. Students will also be introduced to major literary theories in order to familiarize themselves with varied approaches to the interpretation of literature. Then, students will examine representations of individual selves and cultures in American and Japanese literature through seminars and critical writings, with weekly film viewing and film seminars to facilitate a deeper exploration of the topics and issues presented in the literary works. | cultural studies, film studies, literary studies and Japan studies. | Harumi Moruzzi | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | ||||
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Seven Oceans
Erik Thuesen |
Program | FR ONLYFreshmen Only | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | This program will examine environmental characteristics of Earth's oceans with particular focus on marine organisms and their ecological interactions. We will examine topics in marine biology from various coastal and oceanic ecosystems around the planet. Seminars will explore topics related to diversity across a wide variety of marine ecosystems. Laboratory work will introduce students to basic skills needed to carry out studies in marine biology. We will conduct various field studies in Puget Sound, including a weeklong field trip to the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to observe marine organisms in their natural habitat. Through weekly workshops, students will hone their abilities to analyze data and improve their knowledge of the material covered in readings and lectures. Students will be evaluated through exams, quizzes, laboratory exercises, notebooks and their participation in seminars and workshops. | biology, marine science and environmental studies. | Erik Thuesen | Freshmen FR | Spring | ||||
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Student Originated Studies: Travel-Based Education
Ariel Goldberger business and management consciousness studies cultural studies field studies geography history language studies maritime studies outdoor leadership and education religious studies somatic studies theater visual arts writing Signature Required: Fall |
SOS | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | This SOS is for students seriously interested in study-related or research projects involving an individually designed journey or travel. There is a long and revered tradition of humans embarking on journeys for the purpose of learning to develop self-awareness, get to know the world outside of what is familiar, engage in a spiritual quest, or expand the student's sense of what is possible. Travel has been a powerful academic, experiential and research component in the life of many scholars, artists, writers, mystics, and scientists. For thousands of years, humans have developed intercultural awareness, valuable communication skills, resourcefulness, spiritual awareness, cultural understanding, and a sense of the relativity of their personal views by engaging in it. Travel can be deeply transformative. This program is an educational offering designed for self-directed students who desire to benefit from engaging in educational travel as part of their learning at Evergreen. Students interested in registering must have a project in mind that requires travel as a central component of their learning. Individual projects should involve or prepare for some form travel for the purpose of learning, research, interdisciplinary studies, writing, volunteering, learning languages, studying historical events at their source, studying spiritual quests, understanding or studying other cultures, learning about a culturally relevant artifact or artistic expression at its source, developing a career in the leisure or tourism industry, or any combination thereof. Serious, self-directed, and responsible students are encouraged to register. Students will spend the first one or two weeks finishing intensive preparatory research on their specific destinations, to acquaint themselves the historical and cultural context of their place of destination, understand cultural norms, and study any relevant legal issues. Participants will prepare plans to be ready for emergencies or eventualities as well, as each student might have a different project and the faculty will remain as a resource for all participants. Students will be responsible for making all necessary arrangements for their travel, room and board, as well as budgeting for individual expenses related to their projects. Once the initial one or two weeks of preparation are completed, participants in the program will embark on their travel-related practicum or project, and report regularly to the faculty using a procedure negotiated in advance. Participants will be required to document their experience effectively in order to produce a final report. Participants will return to Olympia by week 10 to present the final report of their experience and project to the class at the Olympia campus, unless specifically arranged in advance with the faculty by week two. Please Note: This program is not a Study Abroad academic offering. Students interested in Study Abroad should work on an Independent Learning Contract with Ariel Goldberger separately, or pursue offerings listed in the corresponding section of the catalog. Those students who have demonstrated academic progress and who have projects that take more than a quarter are advised to negotiate an ILC with professor Goldberger to accomodate their learning needs. | humanities, cultural studies, arts, social sciences, and the leisure and tourism industry. | Ariel Goldberger | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Summer Ornithology: Birds in the Hand
Steven G. Herman |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 8 | 08 | Day, Evening and Weekend | SuSummer | Summer Ornithology is a three week, bird-banding course taught entirely in the field. We leave campus on the first day, travel through some of the best birding country in Oregon, then over the next few days find and set up camp in a place where we can net, process, and band a sufficient number of birds to provide all students with appropriate experience. We spend the next two weeks netting, processing, banding and releasing several hundred birds of about 25 species. We focus on aspects of banding protocol, including net placement, removing birds from nets, identification, sexing, ageing, and record-keeping. We balance the in-hand work with field identification and behavioral observations, and during the last week we tour Steens Mountain and the Malheur area. This course has been taught for 27 years, and more than 22,000 birds have been banded during that time. Lower or upper-division credit is awarded depending of the level of academic achievement demonstrated. A photo essay on this program is available through and a slide show is available through . | Steven G. Herman | Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Summer | ||||
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Times and Works of Soseki, Mishima, and Murakami: Literature, History, and Cinema
Harumi Moruzzi |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | Nobody lives in a vacuum. Every person is a product of that person's time and place, even when he/she rebels against such a background. Most people in society conform to the current ideology of society in order to succeed and perhaps merely to get by, even when their society is moving toward spiritual bankruptcy. It is often believed that the artists and the intellectuals are the society's seers and prophets who can shed light on social and cultural problems, thus inspiring new directions for regeneration. This premise often yields an advantageous framework through which we can examine the society and culture that produced such artists and intellectuals. The highly esteemed Japanese writers Soseki Natsume, Yukio Mishima, and Haruki Murakami are examples of such artists and intellectuals. They represent turbulent and paradigm-shifting periods in Japanese history: Meiji modernization, post-World War II devastation, and the advent of a rabid consumer society. In this program, we study the literary works of these three writers in the context of their times, with respective cultural and socio-economic structures, through lectures, workshops, films and seminars. At the beginning of the quarter, students will be introduced to the rudiments of film analysis in order to develop a more critical attitude toward the film-viewing experience. Students will also be introduced to major literary theories in order to familiarize themselves with varied approaches to the interpretation of literature. Then, students will examine the selected works of Soseki, Mishima and Murakami through seminars and critical writings. Weekly film viewing and film seminars will accompany the study of literature and history in order to facilitate a deeper exploration of the topics and issues presented in their literary works. | Japanese literature and history, cultural studies and film studies. | Harumi Moruzzi | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Undergraduate Research in Environmental Studies with A. Styring
Alison Styring ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | JR - SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | Alison Styring | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Undergraduate Research in Environmental Studies with D. Fischer
Dylan Fischer ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | JR - SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | plant ecology and physiology, field ecology, restoration ecology | Dylan Fischer | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Undergraduate Research in Environmental Studies with J. Longino
John Longino Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring |
Research | JR - SRJunior - Senior | V | V | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | entomology, taxonomy and ecology | John Longino | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Writing the New Journalism - Creative Nonfiction
Thomas Foote |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | Writers have come to realize that the genre of nonfiction writing can be as colorful and gripping as any piece of fiction. The difference is that nonfiction writers are not burdened with inventing characters, dialogue, plot and description because everything they write about actually happened. Creative Nonfiction writers assemble the facts and events and array them artistically and stylistically, using the descriptive techniques of the fiction writer. They immerse themselves in a venue, set about gathering their facts while demonstrating scrupulous accuracy, and then write an account of what happened in their own voice. The Greyhound Bus Company advertised, “getting there is half the fun.” In the genre of Creative Nonfiction, because the reader already knows how the piece ends before it begins. Students will become proficient with the form through intensive fieldwork, research and writing. We will begin by studying field research methodology in preparation for observational studies in the field designed to teach the difference between looking and truly seeing. Students can’t write and describe something they can’t see clearly. Betty Edwards in writes, “drawing is not really very difficult. Seeing is the problem, or, to be more specific, shifting to a particular way of seeing.” Edwards teaches that if you could it, you could draw it. Students in this program will do a lot of looking with the goal of eventually seeing what they’re looking at. Like documentary filmmakers, we will pay particular attention to visual metaphor. Students will conduct field research to learn to pay attention to detail, read and discuss representative examples of the form, and meet weekly in regularly scheduled writing workshop. Following a period of redrafting and corrections, students will present their final piece to the group in the last week of Fall quarter. They will submit this polished piece for publication in a magazine or journal. We will read and discuss Creative Nonfiction pieces written by noted authors. A partial book list includes, by John Krakauer, , by Sebastian Junger, , by John Berendt, , by Barbara Myerhoff. Other readings will be added. In Winter quarter, we will continue our study of Creative Non-Fiction and sharpen our sensitivity to literary techniques through reading and discussing representative pieces by noted authors such as, Susan Orlean, Mitch Albom, Greg Mortenson and Hunter S. Thompson. Students will spend much of their time working on their individual Major Nonfiction Narrative. This form allows the use of first-person narration, demands careful attention to detail, and requires the writer to be immersed in a subject area over an extended period of time. Students will immerse themselves in a venue of their choice, subject to approval by the faculty, which will provide the subject matter for their Narrative. We will also use the Ethnographic field research techniques of analysis and interpretation to add depth to the narrative. Following a period of redrafting and corrections, students will polish the final piece and send it out for publication. | creative writing, creative nonfiction, the humanities, and journalism. | Thomas Foote | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall |